Revolving Around Water
by Vixeria
Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have had some accidental run-ins with each other while chasing after Naraku. Why was it that each of these run-ins involve something dealing with water? And what exactly was happening during these run-ins? Read and find out! R:M
1. A Fever In This Weather?

**Quote of the Day:**

_**The dumber people think you are, the more surprised they're going to be when you kill them.**_

_**~William Clayton**_

**This story came to me at random one time, but enjoy it nonetheless!**

**Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have had some accidental run-ins with each other while chasing after Naraku. Why was it that each of these run-ins involve something dealing with water? And what exactly was happening during these run-ins?**

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><p><strong><em><span>Revolving Around Water - Chapter One:<span>_**  
><strong><em><span>A Fever In This Weather?<span>_**

This was just too weird. She hadn't realized it before, but why was she the only one to notice it? For a while now, they've been on the outskirts of each town and never once set foot into Sesshomaru's territory, yet Sesshomaru was the one always on the borders of his own land. Over time, it was clear that the youkai lord had absolutely no wish to end his half brother's life, yet he still picked a fight with him. Kagome had long since stopped worrying and began actually wondering if Sesshomaru was actually training him himself. Obviously, it wasn't ever a real battle because she knew that Inuyasha would be dead in a heart beat should Sesshomaru actually want to kill him.

It took a while for her to realize that even though Inuyasha and Sesshomaru hate each other's guts, they are still brothers, which made them family, or in youkai terms, pack.

Now, as she started paying more close attention to the way he moved and the things he said, she began to think he was actually talking to _her._ It happened one day without her realizing it. She was watching Inuyasha bicker with him about having the sword. "You think I come for the sword?" He asked. That's when she knew that he wasn't really after it.

"Why else would you be here?" Inuyasha retorted.

"I simply came to observe and understand," when he said that, his eyes had connected with hers for the briefest of moments, and she had wondered if anyone else had caught it. It was raining, not really a downpour, but drizzling rather. She remembered how his hair and clothes stuck to his skin like a second layer. She remembered those burning ember eyes staring at hers, even if it was but a moment. She could still feel his stare looking at her as though she were having the conversation with him and not his brother. She shivered just thinking about it. Then the words he had spoken came back to her - observe and understand? Was he coming to observe and understand something that puzzled him? What sort of enigma had the taiyoukai so baffled?

She realized he really wasn't talking about the sword, or about anything else. She got the distinct feeling that it was _her _he spoke about. That it was _her_ that was baffling him to such a degree. She honestly didn't know, but as much as she tried to come up with something else _other_ than her, the answers always pointed right back where she started. She was the alpha-female of Inuyasha's pack, therfore, he wasn't just speaking to Inuyasha, but her as well.

Thinking about all of this had her in a foul mood. She wondered what it was that the taiyoukai was after. She also wondered that if her assumptions are correct, then why? She didn't like being an object under inspection. She didn't like being toyed with either. She did know, however, know that it would be only a matter of time before she found the answers she sought.

"Hey, Kagome, are you paying attention?" Sango asked. "What's got you in such a daze?"

"Oh," Kagome said, "sorry, I wasn't paying attention. I was just thinking about an upcoming test the school is having. It's a mathematics test, like a placement test to see how much we've learned or if we need some tutoring. Knowing me, I will be needing tutoring."

Kagome was getting quite good at coming up with lies. Sango and Miroku never suspected anything. At least, she didn't think they did. She really did hate lying, but it wasn't a complete lie. She _had _been thinking about the placer's test but her thoughts took a sudden turn when she was thinking about what had gone on just a month ago. Since then, Kagome and Sesshomaru had been meeting at random times. Somehow, it had always something to do with water. She didn't know why or how it was so ironic and coincidental, it just happened.

For instance, the last time they met, it was the middle of the night. Kagome couldn't sleep because Inuyasha had taken off, no doubt to be with Kikyou. She ended up going for a walk and came across a pond. It was there that Sesshomaru had spoken to her and nearly caused her to have a heart attack. For a while, neither of them moved from their positions beside the water, but merely looked on at its murky surface and the reflection of the moon. She hadn't the slightest idea why he was there, or why they were even on such civilized terms, but in the end, it had been a enjoyable moment. It had been something that, for once, had taken her mind off of Naraku, off Inuyasha, the shards, Kikyou, everything and everyone.

That was just last week, now that she thought about it. It felt like it had been forever since she last seen the taiyoukai. She wished she could see Rin, too, but knowing her, she would get her scent all over Kagome and then she'd be in big trouble with Inuyasha. Not that she cared, it was just that she didn't exactly want to get into another fight over nothing. It didn't really matter who she made friends with anyway. He wasn't her father, grandfather, brother, or caretaker. She could take care of herself - maybe not as well as the others - but she wasn't defenseless.

Sighing for what felt like the thousandth time that day, she actually paused to take in her surroundings. The scent of moisture hung heavily in the air - it was really humid. It was the rainy season and with the days getting longer and the nights shorter, Kagome was sure someone was bound to give in to agitation - that someone would most likely be her and Sango. She smiled to herself a bit, but it dropped when she continued looking at her surroundings. They were on a dirt path in the middle of the forest they were venturing through. Everything was so green and beautiful, but most of all...cool. After walking that same dirt path without even so much as a patch of grass in the middle of the road was rather tiring and it practically killed them all.

Sango looked as though she was ready to drop dead. Kagome knew that it was no easy task when you were constantly wearing a demon slaying outfit hidden beneath regular village clothes while carrying a large weapon on your back with several smaller weapons hidden within your clothes. She had tried it one day just for amusement, but it really wasn't easy. Sango was constantly having a workout, whereas she was only working out her legs and shoulders. She always carried so much in her backpack - well, mostly her books. She never took more than what was needed. She didn't want to accidentally leave anything in the Feudal Era and risk having it found hundreds of years later and have the scientists baffled completely.

She huffed as she blew the bangs out of her eyes. She looked at Inuyasha - he wasn't so much as breaking a sweat. She could see Miroku practically dying next to Sango. It was as if every human was being affected but not hanyou or youkai. What was up with that? Who knew. They were probably just more immune to things than ningen. Or maybe their stamina kept them going even if they were burning up. Or maybe they just had more metabolism. She frowned when her thoughts took a turn - she wondered if poor Rin was suffering in this heat as well. If she ran into Sesshomaru again, she's going to give him a girly hat to give to Rin to place over her head to keep the sun off her face. She was going to make sure he gave it to her, too, even if she had to be there personally to -

Her thoughts were interrupted when Inuyasha growled. He seemed irritated. "What do you want, imp?" He growled out.

Said "imp" walked into the scene with a little girl riding on the back of a two-headed dragon. She was laying on her stomach, her face as red as could be. _Well, speak of the devil,_ Kagome thought to herself as she saw her. Then, she realized that the girl had her eyes closed and was breathing heavy. "Where's my idiot of a brother?" Inuyasha growled, hands on his Tetsusaiga.

"Inuyasha, sit," Kagome said, walking up to Rin.

"She was doing fine until this afternoon," he said. "There is no sun, yet she fainted."

"It is because of the humidity," Kagome said, gently pulling the girl from the back of the dragon. She reached into her bag and pulled out a bottle of water along with a small wash towel. "For children, well, human children anyway, they can get heat stroke if it's too hot, whether there be sun or not. Even though it's the rainy season, Rin is more likely to catch some sort of illness if left in this weather."

Kagome poured a little bit of water onto the rag before gently wiping it over the young girl's face. At this rate, Kagome was going to have to get her to some shelter. "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked.

"He has gone to the Eastern Domain," he said, "he should return shortly. Rin had been fine until she randomly fainted. Since, we have been attempting to get her to wake up, but were unsuccessful. If anyone knew how to fix something, we figured it would be you. No other miko would see us."

Kagome smiled with a nod. "She will be perfectly fine," she said, "she just needs some rest, but if her fever spikes, use these to break it."

"What are these?" He asked, looking at the small things in his toad-like hands.

"They are called pills. Get her to swallow them, no chewing. They should break the fever, and only give her one at a time. Too many can severely damage her in some way or another," Kagome said, giving him specific instructions. "Go ahead and take this water bottle and rag with you. If her fever doesn't go down, come back to me and I will see to her."

"Arigato, miko-san," he said wit a bow as she lifted Rin back onto Ah-Uhn in a more comfortable position on the dragon.

"Will you be okay to take her back with just the two of you?" Kagome asked, concern etching into her face. She could faintly hear Inuyasha grumbling about the whole situation. She could also hear Sango and Miroku snickering at Inuyasha for being sat "for nothing" as he put it. Shippou sat atop Miroku's shoulder, staring at Rin with just as much concern in his eyes as Ah-Uhn and Jakken.

Kagome smiled and put the girl's bangs behind her ears before looking to Jakken. "We will manage somehow," he said. It almost sounded as though he had come to terms with her, or was growing up for Rin. Maybe both. Maybe he was finally accepting her for who and what she was. Or maybe it was because of something else...

Shaking her head slightly to clear her thoughts, she bent back down to buckle up her bag once more as Jakken, Rin, and Ah-Uhn disappeared in the distance without so much as a goodbye of farewell. Slipping it onto her shoulders, she looked up only to come face to face with a rather sour-looking hanyou.

"Since when have you been calling that bastard a lord?" He demanded.

Kagome rose an eyebrow. She wasn't really in the mood to deal with him, but if he wanted a "smart" conversation, then by galley he was going to get a _smart_ conversation. Looking at Sango and Miroku, she could see their curious expressions as well. That's when she realized she had made a mistake. She only referred to someone with their proper title if they earned their respect from her. She also didn't call someone by title unless it was someone _much_ older than her, like an elderly who couldn't move. Not that Sesshomaru was elderly, it was just that, well, they've become better than enemies, acquaintances maybe. She didn't know, but they were on _much_ better grounds than what they had been in the past.

"Don't give me those looks," Kagome said, "it was a slip of the tongue, that's all. I didn't mean to call Sesshomaru 'Lord Sesshomaru', it just came out, so could you get off my back about it?" She said grumpily, hoping they bought her excuse.

Sango seemed to contemplate what she said whereas Miroku just stared at her. Shippou was doing the much same thing, and Inuyasha simply huffed and turned around, leading the group in some random direction once more.

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><p><strong><em>Well, it isn't the most exciting beginning I've ever come up with, but hey, it's good enough. I figured I'd start off with something...mellow. At least, that's what I was aiming for. I was actually playing with my I-Pad and found an app that gave me prompts to work on. The mood came out with "mellow" so that's what I decided on - something mellow. Lol!<em>**

**_But anyway, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter. I've made it my goal to make every single chapter as detailed as this one - now...to stick with it. Hahahaha! My readers are gonna' have to help me out on this one. You know, keep me motivated! Lol!_**

**_Believe it or not, I actually wrote this story a while back - it's saved under my docs. Unfortunately, when I was reading it over, I didn't like the way it sounded, so I decided to use the same scenes, but make it more...interesting. Lol! This is gonna be good. ^_~_**

**_Don't forget to review, please! ^^_**


	2. A Playful Night

**Quote of the Day:**

**_It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others._**

_**~Anonymous**_

**Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have had some accidental run-ins with each other while chasing after Naraku. Why was it that each of these run-ins involve something dealing with water? And what exactly was happening during these run-ins?**

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><p><strong><em><span>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Two:<span>_**  
><strong><em><span>A Playful Night<span>_**

Groaning again as she rolled over, she looked at the moon. It was dark, the middle of the night once more. She honestly just couldn't sleep. She was exhausted from the rather long day. It was just too hot and tiring today. It felt like they really hadn't gotten anywhere. There were no jewel shards in the area, there weren't even any youkai that she could sense. For once, Inuyasha had been able to fall fast asleep tonight. He _never _falls asleep _anywhere._ It was like the boy didn't know how to take a rest.

As for the rest of the group - everyone was all knocked out after a rather satisfying dinner. Kagome had pretty much decided that everyone needed a load off and cooked a bit of a variety to allowed everyone to rest easy. Even Inuyasha had gotten so relaxed as to fall asleep. Now, being the only one awake, she couldn't seem to relax enough to actually sleep. Go figure. If it wasn't Inuyasha that was watching over the group at night, it was her.

Sighing, and being careful not to disturb Shippou who slept beside her each night, she slipped from the "bed" that she had made with her sleeping bag. It was just too hot and humid to even cuddle up and snuggle into the stupid thing anyway. Looking over the camp again to make sure she didn't wake anyone up, she stretched and looked up at the hanyou in the trees. His ears were drooped - he looked exhausted himself. And he didn't even break a sweat over the hiking he had put them all through.

She guessed with all that extra stamina or "metabolism", she figured if anyone would be worn out, it'd be him. It was tiring trying to keep up with his pace. She was sure that if she weren't around, Kikyou would be, and the pace would continue for at least a couple of days until-

She halted her thoughts and cleared her brain. What in the world has gotten into her? She must be overheating or something. Her thoughts have just been jumbled all over the place ever since Sesshomaru had decided to have personal "audiences" with her. She couldn't really blame him, either. She would think that being a Lord meant keeping your lands safe, signing treaties, creating treaties, discussing political business with people, group gatherings, and all kinds of other stuff. She supposed he needed a way to escape sometimes, too. Perhaps that's why she always saw him traveling.

Then her thoughts wondered to Rin. Where in the world had the little girl even come from? As far as she knew, Rin had been dying and Lord Sesshomaru saved her. _There I go again,_ she thought to herself. What was with her? She had taken to calling him _Lord _rather than just his name. She wondered why that was. Whenever they were alone together, she called him by his name, but when they were in public "Lord Sesshomaru" it was. It was actually really weird as well. She never called Sango "Sango-san" or Miroku "Miroku-sama". She simply called them by their names. When she first saw Sesshomaru, that's what she called him - Sesshomaru. No "Lord", "Sama", or "Chan" anywhere in there. It's always been just "Sesshomaru". Then again, when she first met Sango and Miroku, she had used the suffixes in there. She never did it with Inuyasha _or _Sesshomaru. She didn't do it with Shippou because he's too young. He doesn't really care for honorifics or things like that. It was just something that was there - it meant nothing to him.

Shaking her head, _again,_ she decided that going for a swim would be the best thing to do. She could use the cool water to bring down her temperature - plus, it would actually relax her. Perhaps she will run into a certain someone during her swim.

Pausing a moment as she dug through her bag for a towel, she had to wonder just _why_ she had thought that. Could she be actually...no. It wasn't possible. For heaven's sake, he tried to kill her in the past! Shouldn't that say something?

Then again...she always said to keep moving forward and don't look back. Maybe that same saying applies to this scenario as well?

Shaking her head - which she found herself doing _several_ times tonight - she cleared her thoughts once more. She couldn't even stop thinking about the youkai lord. She knew he only saw her as a means to entertain himself with until he got bored - at least, that's what she thought anyway. She didn't think he'd ever have those sorts of feelings when it came to her person.

Finally wrapping her fingers around a fluffy towel, she grabbed her some new clothes that she had recently bought. They were just _made _for the feudal era. She had thought it was...more or less...appropriate to wear in the warring states era. Besides, she'd get a kick out of seeing Inuyasha stare at her as if she were nuts.

Quickly taking off toward the stream she knew was nearby, she felt...anxious. She wanted to see him again, that was a given, but she couldn't help but wonder why? She grumbled to herself briefly before looking around to make sure no one was watching. She quickly stripped, leaving her clothes strewn about on the bank of the stream.

It was quiet there. The miniature waterfall that was a little ways away was a relaxing sound. You could hear crickets chirping and grasshoppers singing. You could see the fireflies buzzing around, lighting up the area with an ethereal sort of glow. She smiled to herself. If this was the future, this would be the perfect spot to go for a date.

Looking at her reflection in the water, she noticed her hair had gotten much longer than what she remembered. It had been so long since she had a trim and she was sure she had tons of split ends. Her bangs were long enough to place behind her ears and flow over her breasts. Perhaps she will ask her mother next time she sees her if she could cut it for her.

"Miko," a cold monotone voice said from behind her. She turned, her face growing red as she noticed Sesshomaru staring at her. Looking at herself some more, she quickly ducked beneath the water to cover herself from his intense gaze.

"Y-Yes?" She stuttered. She was actually a little surprised he had shown up. She actually thought he was too busy to even come to her. "Do you need something?"

"Why are you in a freezing stream?" He asked, clearly confused. "Would you not catch a cold?"

_Like it should matter,_ Kagome thought to herself. "Not really," she said, "it's actually warm. The humidity in the air along with the heat warmed the water up nicely. Unlike many, I am immune to most things. So, I can handle it." She gave him a smile to reassure him.

"Why are you awake at such a late hour?"

"I couldn't sleep," Kagome admitted nervously. "It's weird really, everyone was able to fall asleep except for me. It's...not normal."

"Hn," he said, "may This Sesshomaru join you?"

She hadn't even replied and he was already taking off his armor and swords. She turned turned around quickly to give him some privacy. Her face was as red as a strawberry now. Not the best impression she would have liked to give him, but hey, whatever works.

She felt the water move around her and she knew that he was now submersed in the water. She turned around to peak at him and found that he was directly behind her. She almost screamed when his hand touched her naked arm. "How did you get over here so fast?"

He raised a single, delicate silver eyebrow as if saying "isn't it obvious?". She sighed and sank deeper into the water, only realize that she was still rather close to him, and he was _much_ taller than she was. Certain aspects of a male's body is very...ahem...noticeable when one was shorter than the other. He sunk lower into the water and she noticed some float up around them. She looked and found that it was Sesshomaru's "fluff" that was always hanging around his shoulders.

"What is that?" She asked, reaching out and stroking it.

Sesshomaru growled softly as his tail twitched beneath her fingers. He didn't say anything as she continued to pet it. A lot of times he has cursed the damned thing for being a nuisance, but in the end - it's what scored him the "ladies".

Kagome noticed his "purr of pleasure" and realized that it was actually connected to him. That _fluff_ that she called it was actually a _tail._ Who would have guess that Sesshomaru had a _tail _in his humanoid form? Then again, she didn't think it was that hard to believe. After all, he _was _a dog.

Kagome stopped stroking it before uncrossing her arms from her chest and actually swimming. Sesshomaru watched her every movement. "What are you doing here?" It was Kagome's turn to ask the questions now.

"I am on my way back to the Western Domain," he replied. "I simply came to observe and understand."

There it was again - those words. What on earth did he mean by those? "Care to explain?" She asked as she sort of ran her hands over her shoulders and arms.

"I wished to understand why you stay at his side despite the way he treats you and your pack. I came to observe you." So she had been correct - he was talking directly to her that day.

"So I was right," she said, "but why do you want to know?"

"I was...curious," he said, leaning closer to her, "I am _still_ curious."

Blushing more than ever, she shrunk away from him, not used to the close proximity. "You are an enigma in itself," he commented with a slight chuckle, startling her out of her whits. He leaned back and began to circle her, like a predator and its prey.

"W-Well," Kagome said, blushing furiously, "I don't know about all that. I've heard that people have had a hard time trying to figure me out, but _you?_ That's a bit surprising."

She watched him swim circles around her in the stream. His hair flowed behind him in the water, along with his tail. She was surprised his tail was so long. She was too busy admiring his tail and the colors that clashed in the water to notice that his circles were getting suspiciously smaller.

"Hm," he said just before he wrapped his only around her mid-section and lifted her from the water before throwing her over his shoulder and into the water behind him.

She came sputtering back up, clearly surprised the Sesshomaru had done such a thing. "Okay, that was completely uncalled for," she said as she splashed water at him. She looked him and laughed wholeheartedly. He was drenched in water. From the tips of his ears, the tips of his bangs, and the tips of his eyelashes, you could see water drops just dripping off everywhere. She laughed at his "stunned" expression. He never truly showed any emotions. He always had that stoic facade that he wore practically twenty-four, seven. It was nice to see _some _sort of emotions coming from him.

Then again, he had shown a little bit of emotion before, too. She just hadn't realized it then. He had shown it when battling his brother - his intentions of "observing" and "understanding" fell under the category of "curiosity". Him in the water showed that he was playful. Him _dunking _her in the water showed that he was...what was it? Toying? Him looking at her right now shows that he was...annoyed? Was annoyed by her laughing? And his stunned expression...it was just too much for her.

Sesshomaru frowned before lept forward. She "eeped" just before the two of them went beneath the surface of the water. She barely had enough time to catch her breath before she was pulled under. She opened her eyes and saw Sesshomaru floating above her. It was the most magical visage she had ever seen.

His hair flowed around him and her like a barrier, his fluffy tail barely being seen floating around them as well. The moon behind him from above the water could be seen in a blue of movement from the water. Sesshomaru was looking at her with a smirk. His hair looked almost green as he stared at her own surprised, yet happy, expression. His golden eyes looked darker than normal beneath the water.

He was in much the same boat. The reflections from the surface of the water splashed rays of silvery moonlight all over her body. Her hair was wildly flowing around her head, mingling with his own silvery white strands. Her eyes were looking at his with curiosity and...awe? Was that the emotion he saw? Her lips were formed in an "o" shape, air bubbles slowly flowing from her mouth and bubbling up to the surface of the water.

Kagome gave him a smile. Sesshomaru wondered briefly if she had finally gotten over her nakedness and simply wished to enjoy herself. He wondered if now, if she was comfortable. He couldn't help but feel like he had made some _sort _sort of connection.

Suddenly, she shot upward, running out of air. He followed straight after her - the stream was deeper there than what he had first thought. He broke the surface just seconds before she did, and when she did, it was a sight to behold.

When she broke the surface of the water, she gasped for air, her hair flinging toward her back and draping over her shoulders, past her breasts, and covering her from prying eyes. Her skin glowed from the moonlight and reflections of the water. Her eyes were closed with her mouth wide open for air.

She finally caught her breath before splashing him and taking off. "You are so not getting away with what you just did!" She said, chasing after him. He quickly swam around the stream, letting her chase him in circles.

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><p><strong><em>Wow, that sounded SO much better than the original.<em>**

**_I hope you enjoyed this chappie! Don't forget to review!_**


	3. Scents

**Quote of the Day:**

**_Reality is an illusion caused by lack of alcohol._**

_**~Anonymous**_

**_LOL! The things you guys say crack me up! My response to one in particular: All women are born with a mother's instinct - and yes, those "instincts" can sometimes be converted into more...ahem..."interesting" things. Lol!_**

**_I'm glad you all enjoyed the last chapter! So, as a warning - this one is going to be a calm chapter. I'm keeping to my word by doing a "boring" yet "eventful" chapter between each major scene. NOTE: I am not responsible for any nosebleeds. Hahahaha! (And I'm not even very detailed when it comes to that...Hm. I should work on that...)_**

**_Anyway - ENJOY!_**

**Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have had some accidental run-ins with each other while chasing after Naraku. Why was it that each of these run-ins involve something dealing with water? And what exactly was happening during these run-ins?**

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><p><strong><em>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Three:<br>Scents_**

He opened his eyes slightly. Something felt _off._ Not the normal "Naraku is coming" off, but the kind of off where there was something amiss. Cracking both his eyes open to look around the camp, he saw nothing was out of the ordinary. Sango and Miroku were fast asleep. Kirara was curled up in Sango's lap. Shippou was out like a light and Kagome-

Jumping up as fast as lightning, he sniffed the area. "Sango, Miroku! Get up!" He exclaimed, "Kagome's gone!"

Jumping awake at the hanyou's outburst, Sango eyed the area where she had last seen Kagome."Inuyasha, calm down," she said, "she probably just had to go pee."

"Fine, but if she ain't back here in three minutes, we're going after her," Inuyasha stated, plopping himself down on the ground beside them. He began to twitch tap his knees, one of his legs bouncing in impatience.

Sango and Miroku shared a look before sitting upright and stretching. It was only a few hours before morning - might as well wake up for the time being. Kagome had made them such an amazing dinner last night - it was as if she _wanted _them to get fat and lazy.

The camp went silent as they watched Inuyasha impatiently wait for Kagome to come back. When three minutes passed, he jumped up, scaring the whits out of everyone. "I'm going to look for her," he stated.

"Maybe she is taking a bath," Sango said. It really wasn't that surprising if she thought about it. Kagome had been the most irritated out of all of them the past two days and truthfully, it was getting annoying. Maybe this is exactly what the girl needed to relax.

"Let us wait a little longer," Miroku said, not in the least bit worried.

"Fine," he said, sitting back down and doing the same thing once more.

* * *

><p>Kagome giggled before looking up at the moon. Boy, time sure did fly when you were having fun. She gasped when she realized she had been gone for far too long. She looked at her hands and noticed she was beginning to wrinkle. She giggled and looked at Sesshomaru to see that he had stopped playing as well.<p>

"Sorry, Sesshomaru," she said, "I've got to get going."

"Hn," he said, "you are worried about the half breed."

"No, not really," Kagome said, "I could care less what happens with him. I just don't want to make everyone worry. I also don't want to be putting up a fight if Inuyasha comes looking for me."

"Hn," Sesshomaru said. "Our time was...enjoyable."

Kagome smiled at him as she got dressed. When she finished, she turned to see that Sesshomaru was struggling with his hakama. He was facing the side a bit, trying to get it to tie properly, but he was failing miserably. Giggling once more, she walked over and grabbed hold of his tie along with his haori. She fixed him up, tucking his haori in as best she could before tying the knot.

"Don't get used to this," Kagome said with a laugh, "I'm only doing this because you looked like you were having trouble."

He grunted something she couldn't hear before picking up his armor and placing around his torso. He clasped it together easily enough before placing his sash around his waist which, Kagome once again, tied it neatly. He stuck his swords on his his left hip before leaning over slightly to put his boots on. Once they were secure, he looked at Kagome, who had wrapped a towel around her hair.

"Will I see you again sometime?" She asked.

"Hn," he said with a nod of his head, "perhaps."

Kagome smiled at him. "Alright," she said, "I'll see you later."

He nodded and she turned her back on him with a saddened smile. She knew she would see him again, but she couldn't help but feel saddened that it would be a while before she _could _see him again. It really did suck.

As for Sesshomaru, he was admiring the her backside from those tight things she called "shorts" before he, too, turned and disappeared.

* * *

><p>"That's it, she's been gone too long!" Inuyasha yelled, startling Shippou who was <em>just <em>falling back to sleep.

"Calm down, Inuyasha," Kagome's voice called from the surrounding trees, "before you wake up the entire forest."

Everyone looked over to see Kagome walking over to them with a towel around her head and wearing - god, what was that?

Kagome was wearing some tight shorts that looked like they had been pants at one time. They looked like they were rolled all the way up to her thighs, leaving lots of bare skin for the world to see. Her top seemed even more revealing than her bottoms - she wore a spaghetti strap white shirt that had a flower petal design swirling around it to a corner of the shirt. It stopped just above her belly button, showing off her curves and skin once again. Her breasts were nicely accentuated with the spaghetti strap shirt.

"K-Kagome," Sango said with wide eyes, "what on earth are you wearing?"

Miroku was currently having a nosebleed while Inuyasha couldn't help but stare with huge, wide puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh, this?" She asked. "Well, it was actually at the back of my closet. I figured with the days getting so hot, this would come in handy. I actually brought the matching outfit with me - I figured it would keep you cool, too. As for Inuyasha and Miroku, I got them something to wear, too in this hot weather. Shippou was a tough find, but I managed."

Sango's jaw nearly hit the floor when she heard that Kagome had gotten her an outfit just like hers. With wide eyes, she turned to look at Miroku, who had somehow managed to knock himself out. Inuyasha had blood slowly dripping from his nose.

"Inuyasha, clean yourself up," she said, "I'm beginning to think you're more like Miroku than you lead everyone to believe."

Snapping out of his daze, he quickly shook his head and glared at Sango. Kagome laughed hysterically before walking over to her bag. She needed to comb out her hair. It was going to be a long morning. Kagome dug through her bag and grabbed a brush before taking a seat on her sleeping bag and unwrapping her hair from the towel. She sighed in bliss as the brush ran through her hair almost smoothly. It was odd - usually after she got through taking a bath, it would be so tangled. Maybe it was because this time when she took her, ahem, bath, she didn't proceed with washing it with shampoo and conditioner.

Opening her eyes, she came face to face with an angry-looking Inuyasha. "Where the hell were you?" He asked.

"I told you this already, Inuyasha," Kagome replied, growing irritated, fast. Didn't he ask this question once already? Wasn't once enough anyway?

His nose was twitching and he was sniffing at her hands. "What the fuck, Kagome!" He suddenly exclaimed, grabbing her wrists, "What the hell were you doing with my brother?"

Kagome blinked. She forgot to cover the scent. Looking over to Sango and Miroku, who had worry etched onto their faces, she turned back to look at Inuyasha. "He was just passing through." Kagome said. It was the truth - Sesshomaru said so himself. "I was being an idiot. I came out of the bath, got dressed, and while on my way back, I, quite literally, bumped into Sesshomaru. I didn't really bump into him like, fall on him or anything, I actually lost my balance and he grabbed my hand to hold me up. It wasn't exactly the most gentle gesture though. He did it roughly - I think I might get bruise on my wrist later." She gulped slightly, hoping they bought her alibi, even though she didn't quite believe it herself. She knew she didn't just "bump into" Sesshomaru. And she knew very well there wouldn't be any bruises - maybe she can use makeup? No, Inuyasha would smell it right away. She might get lucky and think they would forget by then?

"Could you let go of my wrist so I can go back to straightening out my hair?" She asked. He growled and looked at her suspiciously, but he seemed to have bought the lie. Maybe she wasn't in so much trouble after all?

He let go of her wrist as though he was disgusted or something. Then he hopped back up into the tree he was perched in _hours_ earlier. He would tell her the following evening about _everything._ He would make sure he got his point across, no matter the cost.

_Just wait, Kagome,_ he though to himself. _You will see._

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><p>It was late afternoon when the group finally decided to just stop and rest for once. It was just too humid to do anything. Sango had finally consented and let Kagome "dress her up" in those weird modern clothes she had brought from the future with her. Miroku did the same as well, though he had no idea how to put them on, he had Inuyasha show him. When Kagome took him with her to the modern era, she made him wear "shorts" sometimes and Souta had helped him out with that.<p>

Kagome figured Inuyasha knew how to do this, so let him handle Shippou and Miroku. She, however, got to work with Sango's matching set. She wore the same spaghetti strapped-shirt, but it was pink with white flower petals going around it. She wore the same "booty-shorts" and sandles.

Kagome smiled at her handy work before checking her own self over. She, out of everyone, didn't feel nearly as hot and sticky as the others. Sango still carried her bone boomerang on her back and had managed to find hiding places for various other weapons - though, Kagome had _no_ idea where she was storing it all. When they came out, Miroku, Inuyasha, and Shippou were wearing shorts that reached their knees.

"I feel," Miroku said with a frown, "exposed."

Sango and Kagome laughed at that. "You're telling me," Sango said, "I have been...demoted to wearing something skimpy."

"Hey!" Kagome laughed with Sango. She knew she was only joking. Sango had to admit, however, that it was rather refreshing to get out of her slayers' suit and kimono for a change. It felt weird wearing one of those things that Kagome called - what was it? Panties and a bra?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts and looked at Miroku when she heard a jingling noise. He had his staff in his hands, as always, and was looking at her with a raised eyebrow. She sighed - she was being "checked out" (as Kagome would put it) by Miroku. Innocently touching the edge of her boomerang, she let it slide precariously off her shoulder and smacked Miroku squarely in the forehead.

Swirly eyed and on the ground, Miroku faced her. "That was uncalled for," he said in a daze.

"Mmhm," Sango said. "Completely." She was being sarcastic, she knew she was, but she loved having his eyes on her, and what made it even more delicious was the fact that she got to smack him around for it.

Kagome rose an eyebrow at the two but shook her head as Shippou diverted her attention. He hopped onto her shoulder and she looked at him with a smile. "Kagome, are we going to stop to eat a snack and go swimming?"

Kagome laughed. "It's not good to go swimming in the rainy season."

"But you had stream water scent on you this morning," he said with a frown.

Kagome nodded, "That's true. But I also have been vaccinated for these kinds of things."

"Vacated?" Sango said, not sure if she heard right.

"Vaccinated," Kagome repeated as Sango came to walk at her side. "It's one of those things future people do. Every human being who is born is to have shots - which means they stick these needles in you to keep you immune to certain things, like poison, illness, and many more things. That's pretty much what vaccinated means - I'm immune to lot's of things."

"You mean," Sango said with wide eyes, "if you were suddenly hit with poison, you wouldn't be affected?"

Kagome shook her head, "I'll be affected. Remember Tsubaki? You know how she poisoned me?" Sango nodded, "I was only able to withstand it because of the immunity shots I received back home. That's why I was able to move like I did. Most people say I just have the willpower to do that, but in reality, it really is the doctors - or healers - from my time. They are what keep me going here."

"Oh, I see," Sango said with a nod. "Almost makes you a different species." She was joking, but Kagome elbowed her anyway. The two laughed before continue on in silence. Everything was quiet. There were birds chirping, but Kagome supposed that was natural.

Later, as the sun began to set, and everyone had just eaten dinner. They all sat around the campfire telling "ghost" stories as Kagome liked to call them. When Shippou began to get too scared, everyone laughed and decided to just settle for conversation. Soon enough, however, everyone began nodding off, and Kagome was once again the only one awake. She was startled, though, when Inuyasha jumped from his perch and tugged on her arm, making her stand and follow after him.

They walked quite the distance, with him leading her to the middle of nowhere. Finally, he stopped at what looked to be a fallen log. He stared at her for several long moment before taking a deep breath. "W-We need to talk," he said in his most serious voice.

That's when Kagome knew he wasn't joking.

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><p><strong><em>Well, that was a rather boring chapter. Hahahaha! Just remember, every other chapter is going to, ahem, interesting. ^_~<em>**

**_What do you think Inuyasha will tell her in the next chapter? You have to wait for later to find out!_**

**_I figure because I "skipped" yesterday, I owe you guys a second chapter. So, later on this evening I will post a second chapter. I hope you guys (sorta) liked this one!_**

**_Don't forget to review!_**


	4. Trouble

**Most amusing quote I came across today:**

_**Schizophrenia beats being alone.**_

_**~Anonymous**_

**Summary: Kagome and Sesshomaru have had some accidental run-ins with each other while chasing after Naraku. Why was it that each of these run-ins involve something dealing with water? And what exactly was happening during these run-ins?**

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><p><strong><em>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Four:<br>Trouble _**

Kagome was almost _positive_ she was caught. When Inuyasha actually _said_ that he wanted to talk instead of just dragging her out to the middle of nowhere without so much as a word, that's when she knew he was serious. Never has he actually said he wanted to "talk" to someone, no matter how important, so she figured this was a pretty big issue.

He took a seat on the fallen log, his hands on the wood, cracking it under the pressure of his nails. "I - We - I mean," he took a huge gulp of breath before starting again and clenching his eyes shut. "You know I've been leaving during the middle of the night to go to her, right?"

Her? Kagome thought absently. "You mean Kikyou."

He nodded, his eyes still shut. "I talked to her a lot these past couple of weeks."

Kagome nodded and set a hand on his chin. "Look at me, Inuyasha," she said, kneeling down in front of him to stare him in the eyes. His ears were pressed back against his skull. He was obviously scared and nervous about what he was about to say. "You know you can tell me anything, right? If you have a problem, I can help you fix whatever it is. If you need someone to just be there, I'm here, Inuyasha."

"I just," he gulped, "it's Kikyou. She-she's not the same." He paused to think over his words. "I don't think...I mean...I don't want. Damn it...it's so hard to talk about this!" He said, closing his eyes again.

"You don't think or want what, Inuyasha?" Kagome asked in all seriousness. Truthfully, she was confused. She had no idea what was wrong with him because he wasn't making a heap of sense. Suddenly, he fell backward with a sigh, his legs propped up on the log on either side of her face.

"I just don't know, Kagome," he said with defeat. "I don't know what I want anymore. I don't want to go to hell with Kikyou, I never made that promise to her. She just suddenly said it at random saying 'You promised me, Inuyasha!'" He said this in a girly voice, which almost made Kagome giggle. Had it not been for his serious look, she would have. "What I _did _ promise was that I'd avenge her. I know, it's taking a little longer than what I expected, I just - I don't know. I don't want to be with her anymore."

Kagome gave him a confused look. "Inuyasha," she said, "are you saying you don't love Kikyou?"

"I'm not saying that I don't, but" he paused, "I'm not saying that I do, either. To tell you the truth, I feel...neutral. When it comes to her, I feel obligated to protect her, because that's what I promised.

"She told me once that I promised to protect her, but I also promised to protect you. Even though I never said it, the promise is there. Kikyou isn't the same anymore. Fifty-five years have passed and she still thinks that I'm helplessly in love with her. I don't know how to make her understand that I am over her," he took a breath to calm himself down a bit. "What do you do when your first love is obsessive when it comes to dragging you down to hell with her?"

Kagome giggled at that. She couldn't hold it back anymore. She leaned over the log and held out a hand, which he took gratefully. She helped him sit up straight and she straightened her own self out. "The best advice I can give you is to tell you to follow your heart. Knowing you, you would think it would be too girly. So, now I'm going to tell you to do what is right. What you _know _is right. What you think and what you know are two different things, Inuyasha."

Kagome watched as he stared at his hands that were clasped together between his knees. "Your advice isn't helping, Kagome," he said finally after several moments of silence.

Kagome laughed. "Alright, what is your head telling you that you should do?"

"My head's telling me that I should stay by her side," Inuyasha frowned, "but my instinct tells me to stay away from her."

Kagome frowned. "What is more important? What your head tells you or what your instinct tells you? I'll give you hint: both of them tell you how to stay alive, but only one can keep you alive."

"Well," he said, staring ahead and past her with unseeing eyes. "If I stay by her side, like I've done for forever now, than things will continue on the same path as they were before. I will be at her mercy and unable to help even myself. If I stay away from her, however," he paused, frowning, "I will feel a sense of loss and I-I will be saving myself from heartbreak."

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, "sometimes, enduring heartbreak is better than saving yourself from it. You've gone through it before, when you lost her the first time. And when you found out, you were able to mourn and get over it." She sat beside his placed her hands on his shoulders in a half hug, "you never got her back. Even with Kikyou here in the present, you still do not have her back. You said yourself that she has changed, that she isn't the same. Are you willing to break your own heart to save it and move on?"

He looked into her eyes, and he knew she was serious. "I-I," he paused, to really think about what she just said. If he broke all ties with Kikyou...he would be free. He would keep his promise by avenging her death, but he was also not going to be the one on the losing end of everything. "Yes," he said finally.

"Now," Kagome said, rubbing his shoulders, "it's all a matter of what action you choose. Are you ready to make a decision like that yet? Are you ready to do what you know is right?"

Kagome watched as determination filtered through his eyes. "I'm going to cut my ties with her," he said, "and I will do it the next time we meet. After I tell her, I will keep my promise by destroying Naraku. Then...I can be free of her for good."

Kagome smiled, proud of him. He really was beginning to grow up. Now that she looked at him - she didn't see what she saw in him before. Before now, she had always been like a love-sick puppy following him around. Now, with all the craziness with Sesshomaru and Inuyasha with Kikyou, she just didn't see him the same way at all. It was as if...they had a bond, but it wasn't so close as to actually feel and attraction to each other.

Kagome jumped when the determination left his eyes and he suddenly turned on her. He glared at her from the tip of his nose. "Kagome," he said, "since when have you become a liar? And straight to my face!"

"Huh?" She blanked. What on earth was he going on about now?

"I'm talking about Sesshomaru's scent on your hands!" He nearly shouted to the world. "You may be able to fool Sango and Miroku, but you ain't gonna fool me."

"Do you want the full truth, then?" She asked, and he suddenly hesitated. "Are you prepared for what I have to say?"

He suddenly looked unsure, but in the end, he sat back down on the log with a straight back and crossed legs, staring her in the face. "I'm listening."

"Well," Kagome said, "it all started a few weeks back. You know, when he came and said some weird and confusing stuff, claiming that he wasn't there for the sword?"

"Yeah, I remember," Inuyasha said with a nod of his head.

"Well, some time after that, we accidentally ran into each other in the forest one night. I couldn't sleep and everyone was knocked out. As usual, you had chased after Kikyou," he flinched at that, but she continued, "and as we both know, that was in the past, but anyway, you weren't there so I decided to take a walk. I honestly couldn't say why I couldn't sleep. I guess I felt uneasy or something. I ended up walking towards the shoreline of the beach we were near that night. That's when Sesshomaru randomly appeared out of nowhere.

"He asked why I was there and why I wasn't with you and the group. I told him everything that happened without pause. I told him exactly what I just told you. Then, after that, we just sat there in the sand, looking up at the stars and the water. None of us said a word - it was really awkward. I felt like I was going to die from the tension!" She shivered, "I didn't notice that he had left until maybe like an hour later. That's when I went back to the group. You weren't back yet, so I stayed up a little while longer before heading to bed. None of you guys suspected a thing.

"That was the first time the two of us met. Oddly enough, we always met near some form of water and under the night sky. He was just there at random. It was usually when I was out and about by myself. I can never sense him because he usually has his aura cloaked so as to not cause a disturbance. I'm surprised you never caught his scent before.

"Anyway, ever since, we've been meeting up every couple of days, sometimes two or three times a week in the middle of the night to enjoy each other's company. I don't think he has any bad intentions toward me or the rest of our group. I'm not even sure if he really wants to fight with you anymore.

"During those nights we would actually talk. I have never told him about the future or anything, but we would share our adventures. Well, normally I would be the one talking my head off, but he would just sit there and listen. Every once in a while he'd ask a question or share something that connected me to Rin. He never says anything about who associates himself with, where he grew up, how he grew up, about your father, none of that stuff. He just says something simple. Like," she paused to think about it, "if I asked him a question like 'do you ever go to a market and shop?' he would reply with something like, 'This Sesshomaru has thought on it before'. But he would never go into further explanation.

"I'm beginning to think that I know what he's feeling," Kagome said, thinking about it, "he's like a really confusing scroll that's just too complicated to understand. I'm surprised Rin is able to tell so well."

Throughout her entire (one-sided) conversation, Inuyasha stayed quiet and contemplated everything she was saying. "Kagome," he suddenly said, throwing her off her thoughts, "be careful, okay? I-I never grew up with Sesshomaru. I had a pretty tough life and Sesshomaru only made it worse. I don't know what he plans on doing, but just...be cautious, okay? I can see that you're getting use to him, but don't. I don't like it. I have to look out for my pack, and you happen to be the heart of the pack, I don't want anything happening to you.

"If Sesshomaru is as 'civilized' as you say he is, then I'm gonna' trust your judgement. But if he makes one mark on you," he growled for emphasis.

Kagome smiled at him. "You try to get to know him, Inuyasha. The next time he shows his face, you should try actually talking to him instead of pulling out your sword the second he makes an appearance."

"Hm," he said. Kagome almost found that ironic - both brother did that: "hm" and "hn". They were nearly the same. "I'll think about it. For now, you think about what I just told you. The camp's back that way."

He pointed toward the camp before he disappeared behind the tree-line.

Kagome frowned at the fact that he had left her there by herself to just think. Then again, she also knew that he was within yelling distance if she were to get into any trouble. So, her thoughts switched to what he had said about Sesshomaru.

What if Sesshomaru really was pulling her leg and stringing her along? He _did _say he was trying to understand and observe her, right? Or...was he really doing something else? He was an inu youkai lord, both a taiyoukai and a daiyoukai on two different levels - levels she wasn't even sure she was sure of. He never asked questions, he just listened to what she had to say. On many occasions, she had asked him if he was even listening, but in the end, he would raise his eyebrow at her and wait for her to continue. She guessed that was a sign that he really WAS listening. Then there were the times where he never spoke about himself. That sort of unnerved her now that she thought about it. Here she was telling him everything she knew and all of the things she wanted to know, hell he knew her favorite color for all she was worth, but she didn't even know the slightest thing about him. What was wrong with her? Why didn't she ask questions rather than blabber on about herself? Was she that conceited?

No - she said. She wasn't conceited, at least, she didn't think she was. She always thought of others rather than herself. She was always taught to mind others, even if you put yourself as the cost. Her mother always told her that if she were ever rude to anyone, she would personally beat her and lock her in her room. Kagome had never been a bad child, but the mere thought of being locked away from the outside world had scared her into being a polite, kind, and caring child. So no, she wasn't conceited. In fact, she had asked a few questions, but he never answered her. So, that's what led her to talk about herself.

A water drop hit her nose and she looked up to see that clouds were rolling in, blocking off the moonlight, her only source of light. She sighed. Why she hadn't thought of bringing along an umbrella and a flashlight was beyond her. She stared at her hands. She figured that even though it was as dark as it was, she was still able to see. Like shadows and spots of darkness. She was glad she had set up a tent earlier. God knew that she was going to need it. She had even set two more up, just in case. One was for Miroku and Inuyasha, one was for Sango and Kirara, and one was for herself and Shippou. The only reason she didn't put Sango with her was because Shippou had claimed her before Sango had today. She also knew that the tents weren't that big and could barely fit two people in each, and with Kirara liking to sleep in her full demon form, there was hardly enough room for one. Somehow, Sango manages.

Kagome shook her head and jumped when she opened her eyes to see a shadow-like figure standing in front of her. Lightning struck across the sky, but there was no thunder. She sighed when she realized it was only Sesshomaru. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"You are alone," he said, as if that explained the reason he was there.

"Hm," she said with a nod. He stood there staring at her for kami only knew how long. That's when she heard him move and sat beside her, right where Inuyasha had been sitting just a little while earlier. "It will rain soon," she commented, "you should probably get out of the rain before you get soaked."

"Hn," he said. "Yes, because you shouldn't."

Kagome smiled at that. Was he actually worried about her? Who knew?

"You know," she said, staring out into the darkness, "I've been doing a lot of thinking." He didn't make any noise to tell her that he was listening, he didn't even move. He was completely silent and still beside her, but she could feel his aura. It was - comforting. "I seem to be doing all of the chatting here, but why don't you ever speak. Why am I always the only one talking? I mean, sure you answer one question every once in a blue moon, but even that is rare. What are your intentions? Why do you come in the middle of the night to see me? Why is it we are always meeting in these kinds of circumstances?

"I've also realized something: just now in fact. It would seem you know everything about me, yet I don't have the slightest clue of who you are, what you like, and what not."

For a while, there was just silence, and Kagome was just about ready to give up, when his deep, monotone voice said, "I come to observe and understand."

"But observe and understand what?"

"It has been told that I will seek love in the most unlikely of places," he said with a frown. "I have come to observe you and your love toward my brother. I wish to understand what this love entails.

"A demon is not born with such an emotion," Kagome was shocked he was talking so much. For the first time since they have been meeting, they were actually holding out a conversation. HE was the one doing the talking, not HER. She was nearly ecstatic, but she kept her calm - she didn't want anything ruin this momentous moment. "A demon is born with instincts of what to do, what is right, and what is wrong. Nothing else. My father managed to fall for a human, I have sworn to myself I would not follow in his footsteps, and so far, I have kept my word.

"Unfortunately, I do not understand. When a fortune-teller one day told me her thoughts, I was suddenly at a loss. So I sought out you - the most likely source to help me with such an enigma.

"Unfortunately, you have led me to believe that you do not harbor any such feelings toward my half breed brother, yet you still stay by his side. I wish to know why that is. There is no obligation, no words of binding, just complete and utter faith. Though that is the most unlikely thing This Sesshomaru has ever heard of, it does not make it any less true." He paused, before looking down at her, "You say you do not know who I am, what I like, _what _I am like, or the things I do, yet you know exactly what I do, what I am like, and what I like."

"I don't see-" Kagome said, but he interrupted her.

"What color do I favor?" He suddenly asked.

Kagome didn't know where this was going, but she answered anyway, "White?"

"What flower do I favor?"

"Um," she paused, "sakura blossoms."

"What am I?"

"An inu youkai," she stated.

"Who am I?"

"My best friend's brother," she said, "also known as Daiyoukai and Taiyoukai of the West."

"What is my occupation?"

"To rule the western lands and all who are within it," Kagome said without hesitation.

Kagome stared at him with wide eyes. "You know many things, miko," he said, "and all answers were correct. You know more than what others do. You know who I am, yet you do not fear me. You know what I like, yet you are not disgusted with that. You know what I am like, and you have accepted that. You, miko, are an enigma."

Kagome stared at him with wide, unseeing eyes. She couldn't believe Sesshomaru had just asked a million and one questions and she had answered them all with (more or less) no hesitation, _and_ she had gotten each one correct. She had no idea she was even able to do such a thing. Kagome stared at him, unable to even speak.

"It is raining," he commented idly. She shook herself out of her days and looked up, only to have water droplets splash into her eyes. She smiled blissfully as the cold water trailed over her heated flesh. Sesshomaru stared at her - she really did look like a youkai herself. When the lightning struck, she was illuminated by a white glow. Her skin was as pale as snow, yet she looked absolutely beautiful.

There was a sudden screech in the wind. Kagome's eyes snapped open and she was looking in the direction of the scream. "That didn't come from my group."

She listened hard, as did Sesshomaru. "Do you have Rin with you?"

"Yes," he said. "Her fever had subsided and she insisted on coming with me."

Suddenly, crashing noises could be heard coming from the direction of Kagome's camp. Looking up at Sesshomaru briefly, she looked back at the forms that were staring at her and him. "Kagome, we heard a scream," Sango said, completely out of breath. She took a moment to take in what she saw. Her eyes were as wide as saucers when she realized Kagome was with Sesshomaru.

"Yeah, we heard it, too," Kagome said.

Sesshomaru had his head pointed in the direction of the forest. He was completely focused on something, but she didn't know what. "What is Sesshomaru doing here?" Shippou squeaked.

"We were talking, Shippou," Kagome said, studying Sesshomaru's facial features. He glanced back at her - and although she couldn't see well, but the flashes of lightning was warning enough to tell her that he was worried.

Glancing back at the group, they were all prepared. Soon enough, they were all following behind Sesshomaru toward his group. Inuyasha hadn't even complained.

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><p><strong><em>Wow, it took a lot longer than I expected. I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to post it before I nodded off to sleep, but I managed! I try to post something in the morning! Promise!<em>**

**_So, who's scream do you think you heard? Kudos for anyone who takes a guess!_**

**_Review please!_**


	5. Separation

**Quote of the Day:**

**_I've found that its only the times that I put my heart and soul into something, that I realize I have a heart and soul._**

_**~Christopher Hantman**_

**I'm sorry for the long wait! I've actually been doing lots of traveling to different place for the last TWO DAYS because my two little sisters birthdays are back to back and I haven't been able to update at all. I probably won't be able to update tomorrow or Monday either because that's when their birthdays are. Apparently, we are going bowling, to the library, and then to the lake. So I have no idea if I will even be home in the next two days to even write anything! However, I WILL try and get SOMETHING written, and we will see how far I can get.**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong><em>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Five:<br>Separation _**

The adrenaline was pumping through her veins as she attempted to stay above the surface of the water. How had she gotten in this situation again? Oh, right..._that's_ why.

Honestly, she didn't know what she was thinking. Jumping in without so much as a warning. Reaching for a low hanging branch, she grabbed hold, but under the pressure of the current, it snapped and she toppled under again - at least this time she was able to catch a gulp of air.

It started off with them all racing through the forest to Sesshomaru's own camp. All the way there, however, Sesshomaru had been cursing himself for allowing his guard to slip. In Kagome's opinion, he _never_ had his guard down, so, it was just one of those things guys blamed themselves for.

Then again, she wasn't too pleased when she found Ah-Uhn and Jakken struggling for shore. There hadn't been a river here before, so she wondered how in the world they had gotten caught in it. Unfortunately, she couldn't see _exactly_ what the river looked like, but she was, more or less, positive that there wasn't any sort of body of water in this are because of the fact that there was grass beneath her feet and as she ran, she began running through water.

Then she remembered something - the damn that held back the river on the other end of the forest must have broke. That's the only explanation that came to her mind as of right now, unfortunately, she had more important matters to tend to.

"Where is Rin?" Sesshomaru practically demanded as Jakken sputtered up water. Coughing, Jakken pointed down the stream, where a hug flailing of arms and splashing was going on. The current was too strong for her weak little arms to keep her above water.

Sesshomaru tried to fly over the surface, but every time he tried to make a grab at her, he would get intersected by a tree or something. That's when Kagome had stepped in. Everyone had been racing along the side where it hadn't been as deep in the current, but when she finally made to where she was even with Rin, she made a dive for her. She didn't think about the consequences of the actions, she just did it without thinking.

When she came within reach of her, she grabbed her tight, and the little girl clung with all her might, holding her nose and attempting to keep her breath in rather than out. Kagome squeezed her before lifting her above water, but in the process, it made her sink lower into the water, covering her head and only showing the top half of Rin's body. She coughed and sputtered, gulping in the air as best she could. Sesshomaru reached down immediately, grabbing hold of Rin's waist before lifting upward and out of the way, just in time to avoid a rather thick branch.

Rin was shaking in his arms, and he couldn't help but look down at her and hold her close to him. He had been very worried he wouldn't make it in time. He was sure that she was both terrified and freezing to death. Unfortunately, in those moments of checking her over, he lost sight of Kagome.

"Kagome!" Sango called, but there was no answer. No one could hear anything but the rush of the water and the snapping of branches and trees as they toppled over.

They didn't stop searching for her, even as the rain died and the sun began to seep over the treetops, they didn't stop searching.

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><p>Kagome groaned, wondering just how long she had been in the water. She was sure she looked like a prune. Looking around, she could see that the current that had carried her so far, so fast, had calmed to a steady flow and she was actually able to come up for air. It's a good thing she had been able to get a deep breath of air before saving Rin. It was also a good thing she took the swimming lessons that she received as a kid seriously, otherwise this could have been disastrous.<p>

Breaching the surface of the water, she took a huge intake of air before coughing up a bit of water. Her teachers had always said she had a fine set of lungs - it's a damn good thing she didn't get them drowned with water. That...would have really sucked.

Looking around, she noticed that nothing looked familiar. Pulling herself from stream, her muscles screaming for a rest, she made her way to "shore". She ended up collapsing just enough to where she won't move in the water. Her hands were shaking from the effort, hell, her whole body was shaking from the effort it took to hold out through all of that ruckus.

She breathed deeply to calm herself down before she decided to actually get up and out of the water before she got herself sick. She, no doubt, _would_ get sick, but that didn't mean she had to make it worse by remaining in the water. No doubt her friends were looking for her, and she was just resting in the water. She quickly gathered her bearings, which wasn't much, just trees, rocks, and more trees. Some grass... She shook her head and decided to follow the stream back up the rather long hill. She was going to ache after this.

* * *

><p>"Why didn't you grab her when you had the chance?" Inuyasha practically yelled. "Now she could be dead...or worse!"<p>

A feeling of dread at what he was to find washed through him briefly before he said, "I have only one arm thanks to a certain outcome of a battle."

Inuyasha growled, knowing he was right. Kagome had lifted Rin up in expectation of the child being caught before she was drifted off to kami knew where. They hadn't even the slightest idea if she was even still alive. For all they knew, she could have been caught on something at the bottom of the river and drowned and is still there and...

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Inuyasha scanned the area. They really _were_ in the middle of nowhere. He didn't even know that this forest was as deep as it was. Hell, he had never even _seen _this forest before.

Sango and Miroku were silent. Neither spoke because each were too busy worrying over the possibility that their friend may be dead. Rin had fallen unconscious after the whole ordeal. Well, she was in and out of sleep since. She would be awake for a few minutes, ask if they had found Kagome yet, but pass out almost immediately after each time.

"Kirara," Sango commanded, "take to the sky and search for Kagome. See if you can see any signs of her."

Kirara roared and flew into the sky. Sesshomaru had been too worried to fly up and leave Rin unattended after this whole fiasco. He didn't need a repeat of her falling off Ah-Uhn and breaking her neck or her arm, or some other important body part.

In Shippou's opinion, everyone was moving too slow. He was scurrying back and forth, checking to see if his mother was floating anywhere or something. He was genuinely worried for the woman. He didn't want lose his second mother.

"Damn it, this is taking too long!" Inuyasha said, growing agitated from the worry that pumped through his being. "Why'd she have to jump in like that anyway?"

"To save Rin," Sesshomaru said, "that is the way she is."

Sango and Miroku looked over at Sesshomaru. From the way things sounded, it was as if him and Kagome had been spending...alone time together. This, of course, made them want to ask questions, but they kept to themselves. They knew Sesshomaru wasn't _exactly_ talkative when it came to his business. They _did _know that Kagome would tell them anything they wanted to hear. In her own way, Kagome was a "gossip girl". Though she didn't like to rant on and on about things, she did fill them in on the latest "news" every once in a while. It would only be a matter of time until Sango heard about it and in turn told Miroku. That is, of course, if Sango wasn't sworn to secrecy by Kagome, which was, normally, most of the time.

They picked up the pace a bit, not wanting waste any more time than what they already had. Kagome could be dead for all they knew and they couldn't even do a damn thing about it. The only things that kept them going was the fact that she _might _still be alive because of the "strong spirit" she has.

* * *

><p>Kagome was officially freezing. She didn't exactly like her clothes drying on her body. She knew that even though the weather was hot, it was only more likely that she would get sick from the coldness of the air that hit the water on her body. Quickly ducking into some trees, she looked around and saw that the forest was getting greener by the second. She smiled, seeing that as a sign of water. She didn't know if it would be warm water, but she could always hope.<p>

Her clothes were already beginning to dry on her form, which meant that by the time she ended her bath, her clothes would be as dry as dirt. She was going to enjoy her bath for as long as she could before she had to get back to her "trail" and get back with the group. Kami knew she couldn't trust Inuyasha to keep the peace for very long. She wondered if they were even still searching for her. Shrugging her shoulders, she followed the mossy trails and found the spring. She smiled - her hopes, wishes, and assumptions had come true. She came right to a hot spring that seemed to look like the most inviting thing ever.

She, without much further hesitation, she stripped her clothes off and haphazardly threw them onto the large boulder that lined the spring. She was going to rather enjoy having a warm bath after a _freezing _swim.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Okay, so, not much went on except for the fact that Kagome nearly drowned. Hahahaha! So, now that she's separated from the group, who do you think will find her before the others? And who, do you suppose will be doing the scolding when and <span>if<span> they are reunited?_**

**_You'll have to wait for the next chapter!_**


	6. The Bond

**Quote of the Day:**

_**It is better to keep your moth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.**_

_**~Mark Twain**_

**I'm sure everyone is wondering exactly WHERE the hell I've been for the past week or so, right? Weeeeellll...that's simple. I've been right here, this whole time. Right in front of my computer. I actually came across the old Gargoyles series and I got hooked the second I started watching it. I JUST finished the series and now I'm ready to type again. Sigh...It was such a lovely series.**

**But, of course, that is NO excuse for ignoring my precious readers! I MUST update, and SOON. I'm sure I'm gonna' have one hell of a talking to after this, BUT I accept my consequences and I am doing the best I can to make amends. So, without further ado...**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong><em>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Six:<br>The Bond_**

Kagome opened her eyes and saw the steam rising around her. What was interesting was that she was propped up against the rocks that lined the hot spring. Wondering when, exactly, she had fallen asleep, she turned and nearly jumped out of her skin when something, no, some_one_ moved in the water and surfaced right in front of her.

"It is not good for the skin if you stay in for too long, woman," she said, looking down at her. Kagome was visibly shaking, hoping to kami that the woman wasn't there to kill her for all those times she helped Inuyasha defeat her.

"Why are you here?" Surprisingly, her voice was calm.

"I have come to ask a favor of you," she said, "I wish for you to kill Naraku."

"Well," Kagome said, narrowing her eyes at the woman, "that's a given. Everyone wants to kill Naraku, I just happen to be one of those who want to as well. But tell me, why should I help you?"

"I knew you would say something along those lines," Kagura said, inspecting her deal. "That is why I figured a bargain was in order. Mine, my sister's, and my brothers' lives for you friends.

"When the final battle comes into procession, I will make sure that none of your friends are hurt so long as you can get to Naraku's heart and kill him before he suspects we are going easy on all of you. In return, I ask that your friends _spar _with my siblings. Make Naraku think that we are actually fighting while fighting, so to speak."

"Now," Kagome said, "let me ask another question - how is that Naraku can always find us?"

"His saimyoushou, I figured you knew that already," he said.

Kagome shrugged, becoming more comfortable with the woman, but not completely dropping her guard. "Just to confirm my suspicions I suppose. If his infamous saimyoushou knows and sees all, who is to say he can see us right now?"

"He can't," Kagura said. "Tonight is his human night, therefore he has gone to look for a place to hide so no one can disturb him. He doesn't keep tabs of where we are, just where we can be found. He knows the general area I am at, but he doesn't know specifically. His senses are dulling by the hour.

"His saimyoushou met their _unfortunate _demise just yesterday when they tried to take one of the jewel shards that had been inplanted inside a bore's body. They were killed on the spot and I've pretty much been a free woman since yesterday." Her story seemed to make sense for Kagome couldn't feel the feint demonic energy that the poisonous little insects usually carried. "So do we have a deal?"

Kagome thought for a moment. "How do I know you will keep your word?"

Kagura had just gotten out of the water and was putting on her under kimono. "I have yet to kill you, have I not?" She replied with a sarcastic air.

Kagome eyed her before nodding. "Fine," Kagome said, "you have a deal."

The demoness smirked, knowing Naraku wasn't going to be too pleased with what she was about to do. Then again, that would be _if _he found out. Kagura walked to the other side of the hot spring and grabbed Kagome's hand. Quickly, before Kagome could utter a word, Kagura sliced open her own and smacked it against Kagome's.

"It is a blood oath," Kagura said. "A life debt for a life debt. My strength is yours. You will feel what I feel if the feelings are strong enough through this bond. Unfortunately, because you are a miko, I am unable to use your reiki to aid in my performances, so do take care to use my powers for something useful."

Kagome smiled. "Arigato, Kagura. I suppose we will see you soon?"

Kagura merely nodded before standing and watching her powers take affect in the girl. She watched as Kagome's wounds healed almost immediately. She smiled with satisfaction before taking out a feather, throwing it into the air, and taking off on the nearest wind current.

Kagome looked at her hand and gasped at the feeling of new skin on her palm. This was definitely getting interesting. Inuyasha wasn't going to be too happy when he found out that she and Kagura had formed a blood blond and were now pretty much bonded for life.

She sighed and noticed that her skin was all wrinkly. It was about high time that she found her team and told them of her plans. She got out and dressed, slowly. She didn't really feel like going out and looking for them again. She was just ready to snuggle up into her sleeping bag.

It had taken nearly an hour, but before long, she spotted something flying in the sky up the river. Kirara flew straight down and nearly nuzzled her to death from worry before allowing her to climb on and make their way back to the others. Once there, however, all hell broke loose. Without even so much as words of worry or relief, Inuyasha went straight up to her and began yelling in her face.

"You better be lucky you didn't drown!" He said for what felt like the thousandth time.

"I don't really know what to tell you, Inuyasha," Kagome replied as she grabbed her bag from Sango, who had apparently been deemed the "bag carrier". "All I can say is that I did what my instinct told me. I did what I had to do, and that's all. I'm not going to repeat myself."

Inuyasha made a frustrated grunt before turning to Sesshomaru, "You've been with her, tell her she was stupid and careless!"

Sesshomaru walked right up to her with narrowed eyes. Kagome looked up at him - the sun was setting and casting an orange-like glow on his hair and skin. It was...beautiful. His eyes seemed brighter than usual, and his perfectly pale skin...she almost shivered from the tingles that ran up and down her spine.

"That was foolish," Sesshomaru said, eyes narrowed. "This Sesshomaru owes you much."

Kagome had a blush rushing to her cheeks as Inuyasha, Sango's, and Miroku's jaws all dropped to the floor. Shippou and Rin just stared - one with wide open eyes, and the other with just a smile and a giggle. Jakken seemed about ready to pass out from the mere shock of it all. Everyone really was just too...stunned, and for various reasons.

Sango and Miroku couldn't believe it because of the fact that Kagome had apparently been meeting Sesshomaru at secret times. How long that had been going on was completely irrelevant at the moment, but nonetheless unsettling. The second fact was that Kagome hadn't told _Sango, _her sister-like figure, when she tells her _everything._ Miroku really wasn't that surprised, just a little shocked that he hadn't suspected as such sooner. He had noticed it the first time - his attraction to interact with the miko, but he had passed it off as a mere interest, nothing more.

Inuyasha, on the other hand, was completely shocked. True, Inuyasha had, in his own way, said she was stupid, just like he had told him to do. What was even more shocking was that Sesshomaru actually _did_ what _he_ told him to do. Even more so was that he twisted the words to sound more...more..._passionate_ and _thankful_ than _insulting _and _scolding. _He just...couldn't believe it.

Kagome shook her head and smiled, completely clearing her thoughts. She had no idea how they had all just stood there staring at one another. "You don't owe me anything, Sesshomaru," she finally said. "I'm just glad you, in your own way, thanked me. I honestly thought you would just walk away from the event like nothing ever happened." She looked down at Rin, who had come to stand at her lord's side. "As for you," she bent down to her level, "be more careful. Jakken-sama can't always keep watch over you. You _have_ to be wary of everything, okay?"

"Okay, Kagome-sama!" She said with a grin and leaped at her with open arms. Soon enough, Kagome found herself in a snuggly hug with the little girl. "Visit Rin soon, Rin get's lonely sometimes."

"Of course I will," she said, "I'll even bring Shippou some time."

"Yay!" She said, giggling madly, jumping up and down, and clapping her hands all at the same time. She ran back to Ah-Uhn and Jakken while Kagome stood back up to Sesshomaru's height - even if he was a whole head and a half taller than herself.

"I suppose you are going back to the palace?" She asked.

"Hn," he said, "we will meet again some day." He turned, without even so much as a second glance, and walked away with his group in tow. Her group also decided to depart from the small clearing with the river and went their separate ways. It was going to be a long explanation that she would have to give...though...no one ever said she had to say anything. She smiled to herself at that thought before continuing on their trail.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Okay, I made this chapter a little short because I figured everyone wants a bit of romance to happen with Sesshy and Kaggy, am I right? SOooo...the next chappie will slowly lead into an...interesting event. I may end this story at the next chapter, or the following after, but I'm not quite sure. I DO, however, want to put in a certain scene that I know everyone is just DYING to read.<em>**

**_Anyway, I hope you guys aren't...ahem...too, uh, furious at the long wait...ahem. Well...Ja ne!_**


	7. Love Caught

**Quote of the Day:**

_**"When I say 'I love you' it's not because I want you or because I can't have you. It has nothing to do with me. I love what you are, what you do, how you try. I see your kindness and your strength. I've seen the best and the worst of you. And I understand with perfect clarity exactly what you are. You're a hell of a woman."**_

_**~Joss Whedon Quotes**_

**GASP! You guys...*sniffle*...I'm so touched...This story is the most amazing story ever! I don't understand why I never got it out there to begin with! It's just...wow! I've never gotten so many ppl who loved my writing before! I've been inspired now! This is going to be the most awesumest, _scrumptious_, most detailed chapter I'm going to give my readers as a thank you for reminding WHY I do what I do!**

**I love you guys, thanks a whole ton!**

**Enjoy!**

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><p><strong><em>Revolving Around Water - Chapter Seven:<br>Love Caught_**

She sighed for what felt like the thousandth time that night. It was already after sunset, and she could hear everyone's soft breathing, snores, and night-time sounds coming from varying spots around the already dead campfire. She couldn't sleep. It was that simple. Sure, the ground was comfortable, the air was nice and cool for once and everything was as calm as ever.

Turned out that Kagura was the key role in helping in the defeat of Naraku. Kagome had literally went straight through all of their defenses and was practically immune to everything Naraku threw at her because, in a sense, she was _a part_ of him. And, no matter how much she was grossed out at the mere thought, it was true. With her bond with Kagura came the benefits of bringing down Naraku's "security". She had been able to easily locate the evil hanyou and destroyed him with the help from her friends. It wasn't easy, no, for it had taken them _hours_ to actually _get_ to the hanyou, but in the end, it was well worth it.

When Naraku was destroyed, hopefully for the last time, many things seemed to happen at once. The shikkon jewel disappeared, literally. She had pieced the final shards together and purified the entire jewel, only for it to disappear in her hands. After all the trouble the thing caused, it up and disappeared on them all. After all of that conspiracy of having make a pure wish on the jewel, it turned out that a wish wasn't needed in the end after all. Not only had the jewel disappeared, but Kagura and Kanna vanished as well as their kin. Though she hadn't seen _exactly_ what happened with Kagura and Kanna's siblings, she _saw_ what happened with Kagura and Kanna. Kanna seemed to literally be sucked into her own mirror before it cracked and fell to the ground with a loud shattering noise. Kagura literally "de-materialized" and was blown away in the wind. Her assumption was that Kanna literally became part of the void whereas Kagura became part of the wind. She could still feel her though, and that led her to believe that Kanna and their kin were still out there as well.

Kouga had run off with Ayame to some unknown part of the world and had announced their decision with mating before the season let's off. They were going to be having tons of pups running around soon, and Kagome said she would try to visit if she could, but if not, then it was a goodbye until next time. Kouga's "excuse" for not mating Kagome was, in his own words, "Sorry, Kagome, but you're just too...emotional. Your hormones drive you crazy and your mood swings are always out there." She laughed at his poor attempt at redeeming himself for making her "feel bad" and "heart-broken", but she had just given him a hug and told him to take care of her, otherwise, _she'd _take care of _him. _They took off before any further conversation could be resumed.

Sesshomaru was there, in fact, he had fought both alongside her and his brother. She had finally made them come to a truce, even if it was a small one. They weren't...exactly...on civilized terms, but they were able to stay in line to a point. Rin had stayed with Shippou and kept each other safe with Ah-Uhn and Kirara guarding them. Even though Kirara had been reluctant to leave Sango's side, Sango had made a point that with two guardians, the children wouldn't be hurt. Both Kagome and Sesshomaru felt more secure that way anyway. They probably would have gone into hysterics had it been otherwise.

Speaking of Sango, she and Miroku had announced that they were going to be married within the month. THAT had been interesting. Sango had been a bundle of nerves when they were behind closed doors at Sesshomaru's palace. He had offered them the grandest place ever to have a wedding - at his own home. Kagome was told it was out of gratitude for the demons slayer to allow her neko friend to guard Rin and keep her safe. As usual, Kagome didn't think as much. It was obvious he did it out of kindness. The entire village had been present, even the surrounding villages came. They all came because they knew of Naraku and wanted to witness themselves the celebration and the rejoice of the wedding from two of the warriors.

After that ordeal, Sango and Miroku took a small honeymoon and decided to spend it visiting Mushiin and Sango's old village. They were planning of rebuilding the town so that they can begin anew. They knew it wouldn't be easy, what with all the rebuilding and only two of them to work on it, but they both agreed that it would work out in the end.

Inuyasha was a whole other story. It was as if his whole world had shut down with no purpose at all anymore. He was just as gruff and annoying as usual, but he was also mopey and depressed all over the place. After finding out the Kikyou was missing just as much as Kagura and Kanna, it was as if his whole essence had drained. Relief seemed to be there when he understood that he had her by her side, but when realization hit him that he no longer saw her as a friend, but a _sister_, he had all but kept to himself about how he was feeling. He became clingy and wouldn't let her go off on her own anymore. He never let her do anything by herself. It was amazing she was even able to go to the bathroom without having someone constantly watching over her shoulder and seeing if she was near a hive of bees!

That's when Sesshomaru came again. He asked Inuyasha to reclaim his place at the palace by his side. Inuyasha, of course, looked to her for a decision. Kagome had merely told him that it was his own choice and that whatever he chose, she would stick by him no matter what. So, he accepted it.

So, now, as they were all laying beneath the stars, she wondered where the supposed stoic demon lord had wandered off to. She didn't spy him sleeping near Rin or up in the trees and snoozing with Inuyasha. She didn't see him casually lounged by the fire - so where was he? She moved the sleeping bag from her person and realized that she was sweaty, sticky, and possibly even stinky if someone were to get a good whiff of her. She figured she'd just stop by the nearby hot spring and take a quick bath. Hot water always seemed to cure her nerves.

So that's how she found herself. She was leaned up against the rocks that surrounded the spring, dreaming about all of their futures and how it coincided with her own. She was minding her own business when the water moved and a bit of splashing could be heard. Instinctively, she lowered herself in the water, but after seeing that it was Sesshomaru, she relaxed. "What are you doing here?"

"Hn," he said with a raised eyebrow. "I could ask the same." He paused for a moment before giving in to her question. "You were not at camp when I returned from my patrols around the camp ground. I followed your scent here."

"Hm," she said with a nod of her head. "It seems I'm always having company these days." Sesshomaru only rose an eyebrow, indicating his unspoken question. "Inuyasha, before you came, never left me alone for more than three minutes. Shippou was practically glued to my hip and Sango and Miroku seem to have an endless amount of questions for me whenever they get the chance to speak to me one-on-one. It's just too...tiresome."

"Hn," he replied. "Perhaps it has something to do with you not being home."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"You once told me that your home is in the future, correct?" She only nodded. "Then perhaps they are each trying to get their share of time with you before you leave permanently to be with your own people."

"Yeah," Kagome said, "I thought about that a lot, too. I'm not sure when or even _if_ I'm allowed to go back. The well may be closed for all I know, but if I never test it, we'll never know. If it works and I go through, there's a possibility there won't be any coming back. If the well doesn't let me through, then it's a fact that I'm permanently stuck here in the past.

"I've thought about it and I've come to realize that really, there isn't anything for me back in the future. Sure, my family, but that's all. My so-called friends aren't exactly there all the time to hang out with me, and when they do, it's all a one-sided conversation. They don't really understand me, you know? Ugh, and then there's Houjo, he's the most annoying of all of them," she rolled her eyes at this bit of news. "He's always asking me to go out with him on dates and such and I've tried getting my message through that I'm just not interested, but he makes it out to be so hard. He just doesn't know how to take no for an answer."

"Then perhaps you should tell him no straight to his face," he said.

"But that would be rude," Kagome said with a playful glare, "no matter how much I would love to do that. It's just not in my nature to tell someone no just like that."

"Hn," Sesshomaru said. "You obviously harbor no feelings for this imbecile yet you allow him to do what he wishes. This Sesshomaru is thoroughly confused."

Kagome giggled. "No, that's not-"

"Then you fancy him," Sesshomaru replied, cleaning his nails as best he could. Without two hands, it was pretty hard to get every inch of himself, but he managed somehow.

"I do not," Kagome said with a frown.

"Then why do you allow it to continue?" Sesshomaru said, staring at her with supposed boredom.

Kagome could see straight through his little game. "No," she said, shaking her head, "I don't even know why I'm going through this with you. I am _so _not speaking to you about my personal life on the opposite side of the well."

"Then how about speaking to me about your personal life on _this_ side of the well," he said, suddenly much closer than what he had been just a few moments ago. The challenge in his eyes was clear - he wanted to push her buttons. Well, two could play at that game.

"I have no _personal_ life on this side of the well," she said, "but if it _pleases_ you to know, there is a certain someone in mind. Now tell me, Lord Sesshomaru, have you found yourself a mate yet? Or perhaps you have one and just don't want anyone knowing about her? Or maybe it's something diff-"

Her eyes were as wide as saucers. Sesshomaru's nose brushed her cheek as his lips softly made contact with her own. All sound seemed to stop at that precise moment. The only thing she could hear was her heart beating a million times per second and that over-all adrenaline that was pumping through her veins. A blush rose to her cheeks, tinting them a soft pink color. You would almost think that it came from the steam of the water. And speaking of water, they were both very much naked and just inches apart from each other.

When reality came crashing back to her as he pulled away, she couldn't help but bring her arms up to gently cross over her breasts. She had never felt so modest before...why now? Was it because he kissed her? Was it because of this kiss that things have suddenly decided to change? What's up with that? Why did she have to get all shy now?

"For your own personal knowledge," Sesshomaru whispered lightly in her ear, "I have someone in mind. I can only hope this _certain someone_ has a mutual connection."

"Sesshomaru, I don't know about this," she began, but was cut off by yet another searing kiss. This one was a bit more forceful then the last.

"Why such hesitation?" He asked when he pulled away once more. "You react like you should when the attraction is mutual. Admit it," he paused, looking straight into her eyes, "you have fallen in love with me."

"I admit it," she said with a nod and looked deeply into his eyes before breaking out in a genuine smile. "You finally understand. What did you say were here to do? Observe and understand? Did you find what you were looking for, Sesshomaru?"

"Hn," he paused, letting his hand trail over her pale skin. "Indeed, I have. I did not understand at first. You were an enigma, and you still are. You will forever remain as such for I am sure not even the most intelligent person alive will be able to understand your ways. I understand your wants, you needs, your likes and dislikes, and," he paused, running his thumb over her lips, "I understand what means to love. I love Rin as if she were my own pup. I love you, but in a much more different manner."

"How so?" Kagome asked, her breath flowing over his skin and her words mumbling against his thumb.

"I love you as though I've know you for centuries," he said, "I love you more than I would love a sibling or a parent. I _know you_ more than I know myself. In all essence, I have fallen for you and you alone, and it has taken me this long to figure that out."

Kagome smiled, tears in her eyes from sheer happiness. To be told by someone other than a relative or close friend that they loved you...it was the most amazing feeling in the world. It had her heart soaring beyond belief. It had her mind racing of all the things could say, and it had everything moving in both fast and slow motion all at the same time. She had to admit it - she both loved and was _in_ love with Lord Sesshomaru, Daiyoukai of the Western Lands.

"I've waited," Kagome said with a sniffle, "for a long time to hear those words." She reached her hands up and gave him a gentle kiss of her own before wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. Sesshomaru sat down on a random rock and let his tail float about them while at the same time his right arm wrapped around her waist.

* * *

><p>She opened her eyes and peered around the camp. Kagome's stuff wasn't where it should be - she must have gone for a bath real quick. Spying Kagome's last towel, she sighed. Kagome forgot to take it with her. She stretched and stood, looking around the camp once more before picking up the towel from the bag and walking towards the springs. She would make sure to scold Kagome when she got there.<p>

That's when she heard those words - "I've waited for a long time to hear those words." Some splashing could be heard and she could only assume that Kagome wasn't alone.

Finally walking out from behind her hiding place, one hand on her hip while the other held the towel at her side. A grin was splayed across her face and she wondered when, exactly, Kagome and her _guest_ were going to notice her presence. Before too long, she cleared her throat and Kagome separated her lips from his and looked in her direction with both a dazed and embarrassed expression.

"S-Sango," she stuttered, "what are you doing up?"

"Well," she said, "I just happened to open my eyes and see that you weren't at camp. Then spotted this towel on the ground beside your bag. I figured I'd come and take it to you and give you some company, but it appears that the spot has already been taken."

Kagome blushed. The red spread from her cheeks to her shoulders in clear embarrassment at having been caught kissing Sesshomaru. "Um..." She said, "I honestly don't know what to say."

Sango smiled and laughed at her friend's awkward situation. She was still on Sesshomaru with her arms and legs wrapped around him and himself wrapped around her in turn. "Don't worry," Sango said. "Your secret is safe with me," she said with a wink. "You can tell me all about it later. See you later, Kagome. You, too, Sesshomaru."

The two looked at each other before Sango sauntered off after leaving the towel on a rock beside her clothes. "So what will you do?" Sesshomaru said, confusing her by the question.

"About us?" She asked.

"What will you do now that you know you have someone here who wishes for you to stay at his side for all and eternity? Will you return to your future? Or live here in the past?" He asked.

Kagome bit her lip. "Well," she said, being completely honest, "It's inevitable. I will have to go back to the past eventually."

"Indeed," he said, knowing that what she spoke was the truth.

"However," she said with a grin, "no says I have to go back...immediately."

He gave her a smirk of his own before devouring lips once more.

* * *

><p><strong><em>And thus ends the amazing story of Revolving Around Water. Sigh, I almost wish it didn't have to end, but as I said at the beginning, I only had a few ideas I wanted to put in this story. I'm really glad it turned out so well!<em>**

**_First: I want to thank EVERYONE for keeping me rooted to this story! I can't believe it's gotten so many hits, reviews, favs, and alerts! It's practically unbelievable! Then again...I HAVE been told that I'm known to cause a few heart problems with my stories...heheheheh ^_~_**

**_Second: It's the end and I am now beginning on my next story!_**

**_Third: I'm not quite sure if I really wanna' do a sequel, in case anyone asks. I mean, a sequel would be good, but why spoil the imagination? We could already assume that Kagome will end up in the future eventually, right? Why continue on that note? Then again...everyone would be wondering what happens in the future...see? Now I'M wondering...darn it...lol!_**

**_Fourth: I wanted it to be a bit suspenseful, so I waited a day to post this...hehehehe..._**

**_And fifth: Ja ne! I'll miss you guys and thanks for all the encouraging words that kept me inspired with this story! I'm sure everyone enjoyed it in turn, right? Lol! Thanks for reading!_**


	8. Q's & A's: FILLIN CHAPTER

_**Fill-In Chapter!**_

_**It has come to my attention that some of you are confused and some are just BEGGING for more...Let's get some questions out of the way real quick:**_

**"'I will have to go back to the past eventually' - explain" ~yurirawr**

_I realize this really IS a confusing part. Honestly, when I was typing it, it made sense in my head. However, rereading it in another's point of view, as I have just done, I realize that it has left everyone confused. When I typed it, in my head I was thinking, "The future is Kagome's past, so she would say past, right?" whereas everyone else is thinking, "Kagome should say future, not the past." I think it could either way if you think about it._

**"Just wanted to know if she stayed with S or not" ~(Anonymous) **

_Like I said, I'm not really sure if I wanted them to stay together or not. I would think that if I made a sequel, I would send Kagome off on an adventure of her own so she could get used to living there instead of returning to her past in the future. I'm kind of iffy if I want her to get sucked back to the future or just live her life out in the feudal era. If she stayed in the past, then I would have, no doubt, made her immortal and made her live through time. Then I would have let her reunite with Sesshomaru in the future. Now, if she went to the future instead of living out her life in the past, I would have made them meet regardless. Of course, I would have given her time and made her cope with leaving the feudal era. Do you get what I mean? I can see that I'm sort of rambling on and on and I may even be confusing even more. If you're still confused, I can go into more detail. ^_~_

**_Now for a few commentaries...:_**

**"...the most entertaining part of reading this story, was the simple fact that Kagome constantly went out to bathe in the EARLY morning..." ~Yumi Watase**

_LOL! I find it hilarious how you pointed that out! Yes, I suppose so - it IS the most entertaining part of the story. I think I mentioned ONCE in the story something about "who knows? Maybe she'll get to see him again." So, in the back of my mind I've been placing Kagome in the middle of the night rather than the late evening. I figured it would be something no one else writes. You know how everyone always says something along the lines of "Kagome needs a bath every chance they stop"? Well, I wanted to be different because really, how many people out there take BATHS every. single. day.? Me, personally, I like to take SHOWERS, and those showers are usually done in the middle of the night because I stay up really late and its the only way to get me to relax enough to sleep. I admit it, I don't take one EVERY night, but hey, I'm still clean. I can't go more than a day and a half of being dirty. For me, it grosses me out. A friend of mine once told me that she could only take a shower once a week because her scalp tends to dry out. I didn't question it and left it at that. Another friend of mine told me that he knew a girl who took a shower only once a month - now THAT...I really don't understand. But I won't judge her or fault her for it. I mean hey, if she wants to be dirty, then I say go for it! I, myself, love to get dirty from time to time because that's the kind of person I am, but alas, my "dirtiness" can only last so long before I give up and scrub myself until I peel. Lol!_

**"I'm curious about a sequel, say, 10 years down the road :)" ~Safuuru**

_Ten years, eh? Let's see...I picture Kagome getting cursed somewhere between the fourth and sixth years and that is where she can "begin" her second journey. Then, on her tenth year, she could begin her travels and make new friends as well as enemies and such. Five hundred years down the road, she meets up with Sesshomaru and the gang, yes, I said THE GANG. Lol!_

_OR...Kagome can return to the future and struggle for the first ten years of her life to get her life in order and FINALLY begins to move on from her past only to have Sesshomaru and Inuyasha step into her life once more._

_Either scenario sounds PRETTY good to me. Maybe I should create two sequels - I'm getting all psyched about it! Each one will be a different sequel to an alternate path. It would almost be like those books you see that let the reader choose the outcome, you know? OOooooooo! Let me know what you guys think about that idea! I kinda like it. I MIGHT do it if I'm...ahem...persuaded a bit. Lol!_

**_ Okay, I think that solves everything...if I'm leaving anything out, feel free to message me at any time! Btw, I'm a GREAT beta reader if anyone's interested! I love to read - and a lot of times, I can't help but to notice either minor or MAJOR grammar mistakes. So, if you need a doc that needs editing or revising, and not easily offended to "criticism" (as some people like to call it), feel free to ask me! I read anything, literally, so it wouldn't matter if its about the Legend of Zelda or a TV series about witches and warlocks. Lol!_**

**_Okay, so I'm TERRIBLE at advertising myself, but hey, I'm trying! Lol! Anyway, ja ne, everyone! Thanks for all the amazing reviews, questions, and motivation that kept me going throughout the story! *Sniffle* I can't...*sniff*...believe it's...*sniffle*...(and in a wailing voice) OVER! WHAAAAAAAA! Okay...I'm calm...*sniff*...sorta..._**

**_Lol! Buh-Bye! ^_~ _**


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